Great Weekend

My three March Madness brackets crashed and burned on the first two days, but all my Final Four picks are alive, so I still have a chance to be respectable. Despite my traditional lack of success, the beginning of the tournament always is one of my favorite extended weekends of the year.

Besides the basketball, I love it because of the fantastic March Madness party I attend that first Thursday and Friday every year and because it always coincides with one on the last weekends of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail's March Madness Passport Program.

My wife and I visited our last two wineries Sunday, and we bought so much wine over the course of the month that the rack and wine refrigerator upstairs are full and we're well into filling the improvised rack we keep in the basement. We only drink wine a couple of nights a week, so this should hold us at least until the Wine Trail's Nouveau Weekend in November.

Those of you who were too late to get passports for the March food and wine pairings should visit the Wine Trail's website and Facebook page so you can stay up on future events and promotions. Many of them have music, tours and other stuff going on various weekends, so there are plenty of opportunities to have fun and taste some of these excellent local products.

Food and drink also play a big part in the success of the March Madness party, held at undisclosed locations for 19 years. Thanks to the tireless efforts of several grillers working outside around a giant smoker, attendees are treated all day Thursday and Friday to nonstop samplings of all kinds of smoked meat, cut up and carried around the big room in foil trays. Like the Vikings at feasts of old, we just pluck the meat out with our hands and wash it down with goblets -- OK, actually plastic cups -- of spirits.

This is the only time of the year I see many of these guys, but they still feel like old friends as we yell at the basketball action, tell stories, play poker, smoke cigars -- not me, but I might as well, considering the way I smell by the time I walk out -- and enjoy the good food and good company. I stayed until the presentation of the MVP jacket and Rookie of the Year awards and unveiling of the Wall of Fame late Friday night.

I think I speak for all the casual attendees -- this was my fifth one -- in expressing my gratitude to the guys who organize this thing every year and the ones who spend most of their two days outside grilling for us. They've created a beautiful thing.

Trackbacks

Current Comments

Glad you enjoyed your NCAA get-together. I'm sure all of your smoked meats tasted much better than the crow that Duke was forced to eat -- for the second time in three years! Looks like they didn't really learn the lesson that the Mountain Hawks taught them back in 2012.

Posted By: Bob H | Mar 24, 2014 8:31:59 PM

My only regret was that I watched that game from home. It would have been great whooping it up with the crowd.

Posted By: Bill White | Mar 25, 2014 10:53:02 AM

Leave A Comment

NOTE: Please express your opinions in a civil and respectful manner. Insensitive, inflammatory and derogatory comments will be removed at our discretion.